Systems and methods for matching providers and recipients for remote care services

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to systems and methods for matching providers and recipients. First, historical information on the service providers and recipients is collected. Feedback from both the service provider and service recipients on the quality of service is compiled. Optimal match profiles are then generated, and these earlier profile matches are used to asses any new providers and/or recipients to ensure a good fit. The services may include feeding, companionship, grooming, and personal assistance. Once the matches have been made, they may be displayed to the providers, and application information from interested providers may be provided to the recipient and friends/family of the recipient. The recipient, or authorized agent, may then select one of the providers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to provisional application No.62/152,694, filed Apr. 24, 2015, entitled “System and Methods forFacilitating Remote Care Services” which is incorporated by referenceherein for all purposes.

Further, this application is related to co-pending application Ser. No.15/136,853, (Attorney Docket Number HON-1601-US) filed Apr. 22, 2016,entitled “System and Methods for Facilitating Remote Care Service”,which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

Additionally, this application is related to co-pending application Ser.No. ______, (Attorney Docket Number HON-1603-US) filed Apr. 22, 2016,entitled “System and Methods for Providing Value Added Services”, whichis incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

Lastly, this application is related to co-pending application Ser. No.______, (Attorney Docket Number HON-1604-US) filed Apr. 22, 2016,entitled “System and Methods for Ensuring Quality of Care Services”,which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to systems and methods for facilitatingremote care of individuals. Such systems and methods will increase theeffectiveness of remote care, feelings of independence and security ofcare recipients, and connectivity and sense of wellbeing for family andfriends of the care recipient. Moreover, such systems and methods willprovide service providers of the care with streamlined scheduling androuting, to more effectively deliver their services.

In home care is typically divided into two subsets: medical in home careand non-medical care. Non-medical care typically includes activitiessuch as feeding, grooming and washing, assistance with bathroom habits,as well as many household tasks (such as cleaning, laundry, collectingmail, etc.). This assistance is critical for many individuals. Withoutthese in home care services the recipient would often be unable to liveindependently, and would be forced to move in with family, or beinstitutionalized within an appropriate care facility.

In home care services are most typically used by the elderly. However,recipients of in home care can vary widely, including the mentally orphysically disabled, persons recovering from a trauma or surgery,recovering addicts, or other individuals with enhanced care needs.However, with the aging demographics in much of the developed world, theneed for in home care for the elderly, in particular, is expected toincrease significantly.

Currently, in home care is often provided through an individualagreement between the recipient (or friends and family of the recipient)and a caregiver directly, or through an agency. As friends and familymay not be geographically close to the recipient, there are hurdles insecuring adequate care, and moreover stress and concern that the care isbeing properly administered with compassion. For family located awayfrom a care recipient, it may be very difficult to even find a suitablecare provider, let alone properly manage the recipient's care needs.Using an agency alleviates the difficulties in finding a caregiver;however, agencies are loath to provide any direct contact between thecare provider and the recipient's family for fear of losing business(via a direct relationship not involving the agency).

Moreover, the vast majority of care agencies are notoriously low tech,both in distributing their care providers, scheduling, matching careproviders to recipients, and the like. Often scheduling the providers isdone manually using a pen and paper. More sophisticated agencies mayhave rudimentary scheduling software, but this is the extent of agencysophistication currently.

It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for systems andmethods to facilitate remote care of a recipient that addresses themultitude of deficiencies that currently plague agencies or individualarrangements. Such systems and methods result in more efficient routingof providers to recipients, better matching of recipients to their careproviders, better quality of care, and peace of mind for family andfriends of the care recipient. Additionally, such systems and methodsmay enable sophisticated value added services that improve therecipient's quality of life and safety.

SUMMARY

To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention,systems and methods for matching service providers with recipients isprovided. This may have particular utility in the care of the elderly orothers who may be physically or mentally limited in some capacity, aswell as for other care needs such as babysitting, pet care,companionship services, and the like.

In some embodiments, historical information on the service providers iscollected. Likewise, information is collected on the service recipient.Feedback from both the service provider and service recipients on thequality of service is compiled. Optimal match profiles are thengenerated, and these earlier profile matches are used to asses any newproviders and/or recipients to ensure a good fit. As noted, the servicesmay include feeding, companionship, grooming, and personal assistance.

The historic information collected on the provider includes theprovider's name, image, gender, birthdate, location, certifications,experience, and personal likes and dislikes. Likewise, for the recipientthe following may be collected: the recipient's name, image, gender,location, weight, birthdate, care needs, physical limitations, mentallimitations, pet status, and any of favorite food, favorite holiday,most treasured memory, and favorite person.

Once the matches have been made, they may be displayed to the providers,and application information from interested providers may be provided tothe recipient and friends/family of the recipient. The recipient, orauthorized agent, may then select one of the providers.

Feedback is collected from any match and is used to update any futurematching activity. Additionally, a compatibility score may be generatedfor the recipient and each provider.

Note that the various features of the present invention described abovemay be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features ofthe present invention will be described in more detail below in thedetailed description of the invention and in conjunction with thefollowing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention may be more clearly ascertained,some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an example block diagram of a system for facilitating remotecare, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an example block diagram of the remote care management system,in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an example block diagram of the service provider supportmodule of the remote care management system, in accordance with someembodiment;

FIG. 4 is an example block diagram of the friends and family supportmodule of the remote care management system, in accordance with someembodiment;

FIG. 5 is an example block diagram of the care recipient support moduleof the remote care management system, in accordance with someembodiment;

FIG. 6 is an example block diagram of the logistics server of the remotecare management system, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an example flow diagram for the process of delivering remotecare, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an example flow diagram for the sub-process of provideronboarding, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an example flow diagram for the sub-process of matching aprovider to a recipient, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an example flow diagram for the sub-process of monitoringcare delivery, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an example flow diagram for the sub-process of offering valueadd services, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an example flow diagram for the sub-process of feedbackcollection, in accordance with some embodiment;

FIGS. 13-25C are example screenshots for the various user interfacescreens provided to the provider and recipient, respectively, inaccordance with some embodiment; and

FIGS. 26A and 26B are example computer systems capable of implementingthe system for remote care management, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference toseveral embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the presentinvention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, thatembodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structureshave not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscurethe present invention. The features and advantages of embodiments may bebetter understood with reference to the drawings and discussions thatfollow.

Aspects, features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawing(s). It should beapparent to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments ofthe present invention provided herein are illustrative only and notlimiting, having been presented by way of example only. All featuresdisclosed in this description may be replaced by alternative featuresserving the same or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.Therefore, numerous other embodiments of the modifications thereof arecontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention asdefined herein and equivalents thereto. Hence, use of absolute and/orsequential terms, such as, for example, “will,” “will not,” “shall,”“shall not,” “must,” “must not,” “first,” “initially,” “next,”“subsequently,” “before,” “after,” “lastly,” and “finally,” are notmeant to limit the scope of the present invention as the embodimentsdisclosed herein are merely exemplary.

The presently disclosed systems and methods are directed toward themanagement of remote care. Typically this care is non-medical care forassistance with activities needed for living independently. The term“remote” means that the assistance is delivered to the site of therecipient. In many cases, this includes assistance to the recipient'sresidence; however, the provided service may be delivered to anylocation where it is required (a grocery store for example).

Note, that throughout this disclosure, particular emphasis will beplaced upon care services for activities such as feeding, grooming,assistance in adherence to prescription schedules, cleaning, and otherhousehold chores. However, the systems and methods contained herein arenot required to be limited to such services. For example, such remoteservices may include companionship services, assistance with specificactivities (such as physical therapy), or even childcare or otherservices.

Additionally, a number of terms are utilized throughout this disclosurethat are intended to be read interchangeably. For example, the terms“provider”, “service provider”, “caregiver” and “care provider” areoften utilized interchangeably to refer to the individual(s) who travelto the recipient and provide the required service. Likewise, “service”,“assistance” and “care” are often employed to refer to what is beingprovided to the recipient. Moreover, “friends and family”, “family” and“customer” may be used to refer to an interested third party to therecipient who is concerned with the recipient's wellbeing. Thisindividual may even be the recipient's doctor, therapist, insurancecompany, or other non-familial individual. These third parties often areresponsible for the payment of the care services; however this is notalways required. Additionally, while “friends and family” are typicallyreferred to as a single entity, this may include disparate groups thatdesired to have feedback regarding the recipient's care.

Note that the following disclosure includes a series of subsections.These subsections are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosurein any way, and are merely for the sake of clarity and ease of reading.As such, disclosure in one section may be equally applied to processesor descriptions of another section if and where applicable.

I. Remote Care Management System

To facilitate this discussion, FIG. 1 provides an example schematicblock diagram for a system for facilitating remote care, shown generallyat 100. Here the three main parties are illustrated: the serviceprovider 102, the service recipient 112, and the recipient's friends andfamily 122. These entities all have access to a computing device 104,114 and 124 respectively.

The device 104 employed by the provider 102 may be any computing device;however, ideally the device is mobile (while maintaining networkconnectivity) and includes a GPS. Smartphones provide a very convenientplatform, often the device 104 may be a smartphone, smart watch, orsimilar device.

While a smartphone may also function as the recipient's 112 device 114,in some embodiments the recipient 112 is elderly, or has physical ormental limitations. For these recipients 112, it may be beneficial forthe device 114 to be as user friendly as possible. Often large script,bright screen, touch capabilities, and ruggedness are important. Atablet, such as an iPad or similar device, may be well suited for therecipient's 112 device 114 as the screen size is larger than that of asmartphone. This allows for enlarged images, and has built in touchscreens.

These tablets may be “locked” such that the recipient 112 only hasaccess to a handful of options in order to simplify the interface. Insome embodiments, the functionality enabled on a given device 114 may bedependent upon the recipient's 112 needs, and technical capability. Forexample, a recipient with dementia may require the device 114 to be verylimited in its functionality: perhaps only providing basic reminders andinformation regarding the provider. A more mentally competent recipient,who is comfortable with technology, may have a device 114 that has farmore expansive functionality, such as web-access, streaming mediacontent, email access, or the like.

In some embodiments, it may even be desirable for the recipient's 112device 114 to be a custom piece of machinery adapted for the rigors thata recipient may subject the device to. For example, in some embodiments,the device may be hardened against physical damage if the recipient haslate stage Parkinson's and has difficulty manipulating the devicewithout it being routinely dropped. Likewise, some devices 114 maybenefit from being waterproof, having tactile or audio interfaces (forthe visually impaired), having non-removable cords (rather than batterypowered devices), or the like.

The device 124 utilized by the friends and family 122 of the recipientare generally much more varied. Typically these devices 124 are used forfeedback communication, and as such any device with Internetconnectivity will typically suffice.

Each of the devices may access a remote care management system 108 via anetwork 106. The network 106 most typically includes the Internet, butmay also include other networks such as a corporate WAN, cellularnetwork, or combination thereof, for example. The remote care managementsystem 108 has access to a data store 110, which includes information ofeach of the relevant parties, including access permissions, profileinformation, locations, feedback, etc.

Note, while a single recipient 112, service provider 102 and family andfriends 122 are illustrated in this example diagram, there are typicallya very large number of these entities accessing the remote caremanagement system 108. Often a single recipient 112 may have one or moreproviders 102 providing them assistance. Likewise, a given provider 102typically cares for a plurality of recipients 112 over the course of aweek. Further, as already mentioned, a single recipient 112 may alsohave no family or friends 122, or may have a very large number ofindividuals who may be classified as such.

Moving to FIG. 2, a more detailed example block diagram of the remotecare management system 108 is provided. The remote care managementsystem 108 typically includes one or more servers that manage incomingtraffic from the devices, and provides updates to the relevant devicesto facilitate the delivery of care.

In particular, the remote care management system 108 has at least fourlogical subsystems that provide support to the provider, recipient andfamily/friends. Additionally, the remote care management system 108performs a number of backend activities that require processing. Inorder to meet these demands, the remote care management system 108includes a service provider support module 210, a friends and familysupport module 220, a recipient support module 230, and a logisticsserver 240. Each of these sub-systems shall be explored in greaterdetail in the following figures.

FIG. 3 is the example block diagram of the service provider supportmodule 210. This module includes a scheduler 310 which calculates whereand when the provider has an appointment. In some embodiments, thescheduler utilized optimization processes based upon the provider'slocation to most efficiently deliver care to given recipients. In someadvanced embodiments, the schedule may take into consideration traveltimes, traffic conditions, mode of transportation, etc. in order todynamically update the provider's schedule. For example, if the provideris running long at an appointment due to an unforeseen complication, thescheduler may be configured to shift the entire schedule accordingly.The impacted recipients would be notified of the delay.

In the above example, if the delay became significant, the scheduler maybe configured to determine which appointments are critical (as opposedto matters of convenience), and may ensure that all criticalappointments are met in a timely manner. Less critical appointments maybe rescheduled, or a substitute provider may be dynamically routed tothe recipient based upon provider availability and locations.

The service provider support module 210 may also include a mapper 320which utilizes the provider's location, and locations of the recipients'to provide directions and optimized routing to the provider's nextappointment. Such features enable the provider to visualize theirroutes, avoid traffic congestion, and most efficiently get from oneappointment location to the next.

The service provider support module 210 may also include a messagingsystem 330, which allows the provider 102 to directly communicate withthe friends and family 122 of the recipient. This allows for ‘on thefly’ status updates to be communicated between the provider and theremote party.

Lastly, the service provider support module 210 may include a recipientfeedback module 340. As will be discussed in greater detail below, theability for providers and recipients to provide feedback regarding oneanother to the management system 108 enables optimization ofprovider-recipient pairings. This feedback may be kept secret, or thefeedback may be may be provided in summary or aggregated form, in orderto facilitate honest feedback.

Moving on to FIG. 4, an example block diagram of the friends and familysupport module 220 is provided. The friends and family support module220 consists of a notification module 410, a value added services module420, and a billing system 430.

The notification module 410 pushes updates and notifications regardingthe recipient 112 to the friends and family 122. These updates mayinclude messages generated by the providers 102, and may further includereminders and status updates regarding service, billing cycles, etc.

The value added service module 420 provides offers for additionalservices or opportunities based upon analysis of the recipients 112profile, wants and needs. Unlike traditional care agencies, thepresently disclosed system benefits from transparency and the ability toleverage datasets to improve care of the recipient. A wealth ofinformation is collected regarding the recipient, including an expansiveprofile which is populated upon signing up for the care services. Thisprofile may include age, gender, weight, height, hobbies, previousprofessional experience, location, pets, physical and mentallimitations, personal accomplishments, traditions, favorite holidays,favorite gift received, most treasured memory, favorite person,subjective “perfect day”, what is valued most in a friend, etc. Thisprofile may be compiled by the recipient herself, or by the friends andfamily of the recipient.

In addition to this exhaustive profile, over time the various providers102 caring for the recipient 112 generate notes and updates regardingtheir interactions. In some embodiments, these notes and messages may beanalyzed using natural language processing techniques to generateadditional insights regarding the recipient's 112 preferences. Forexample, the provider may message the recipient's friends and familythat she “really enjoyed our walk today.” Another provider, on adifferent day may compose a note that indicates the recipient “enjoystalking about flowers, and particularly roses.”

The value added service module 420 may perform optimizations of eventsand additional services based upon these collected insights andprofiles. For example, if sufficient numbers of individuals receivingcare in a shared geographic location share similar interests, the systemmay generate an offer to charter a trip to the botanical gardens.Recipients who have interest in walks, gardens, flowers, socialactivities, and who maintain the physical capability for such anactivity, may be provided the offer via the value added service module420. Such activities often are subject to additional fees, and as suchthe offer may first be provided to the friends and family 122 (assumingthey are handling the care finances). After approval by the financiallyimpacted entity, the offer may be forwarded to the recipient to see ifthere is interest. Approval or rejection of offers may be tracked tofurther refine value added services that are offered.

Value added services include a large suite of possible activities. Theymay include special events, such as attending a touring concert, or maybe periodic “field trips” such as the botanical garden example above.They may also include free or low cost routine services, such as areoccurring social get together with individuals with similar interests.In addition to events, the value added services may include otherservices aimed at increasing the recipient's security, health, etc. Forexample, if the provider notes that the recipient has trouble makingdoctor's appointments; the system may query the recipient's profile anddetermine a suitable transportation means, and offer up a service toensure medical appointments are met. For example, if the recipient isrelatively sound mentally and emotionally, a simple car service may besufficient to ensure appointments are met. However, specialaccommodations may be required for a recipient in a wheelchair, or withdementia, for example. After the value added service is accepted, thenecessary transportation is scheduled.

Another example of a value added service could include non-providercommercially available services. For example, the provider may note thatthe recipient is having difficulty caring for a pet, or maintainingbasic maintenance on the home. This may translate into the systemoffering to arrange a dog walking service, or a handyman service. Insome embodiments, along with the care providers, these additionalservice providers may be vetted in order to ensure that only trustedindividuals are interacting with the recipient. Unfortunately, there isa propensity for service providers to take advantage of the elderly, orany other member of society which is marginalized. Often there is littlerecourse available. The value added services provided here minimize thisrisk by ensuring the service is actually required (via providerobservation), and ensures that the services are delivered by accountableindividuals who have a vested interest in treating their clients fairly(in order to remain a preferred vendor).

An additional value added service that the system may provide includesrecipient monitoring services. For recipients with frail health, or amental disability such as Alzheimer's, there may be a significantemotional toll placed on friends and family who are located possiblyhundreds or thousands of miles away. It may be possible to introducemonitoring services that are automated that can address these concerns.

Monitoring services may include video and/or audio monitoring, as wellas health statistics collection. For health data collection, therecipient's device may include a platform that simply collects basichealth data in an automated fashion. For example, the device may includean optical transducer for collecting blood oxygenation and pulse data. Ablood pressure cuff may also be included, in some embodiments, whichallows the collection of blood pressure data by the system. The devicemay also be coupled to a wireless network along with peripheral devices,such as a scale, glucose monitors, pedometer, accelerometer, etc., forcollecting additional information such as weight, activity level, andevidence of a fall or other sudden acceleration. Alternatively, suchdata may be input by someone providing care to the recipient.

With regards to video and/or audio monitoring, the level of monitoringwould be balanced by the recipient's desires. On one extreme, therecipient's home may be equipped with video and audio monitoring thatensures the recipient is safe. Other intermediate monitoring may includemotion sensors which are automatically monitored and provide alerts ifthe level of motion is below a given threshold. For example, if therecipient is relatively motionless in their bed overnight, this may bedeemed acceptable by the system, but a relatively motionless recipientwithin a hallway for twenty minutes may indicate a fall or otheraccident which has rendered the recipient immobile. Such a motionsensing system may be coupled with a video system that only activateswhen a “problem” is detected. This would allow rapid and efficientdetection of problems such as a fall.

A “problem” detected by the motion sensing system, with or without avideo system, may instead route one of the recipient's providers to thehome to provide a ‘check-in’. These services help ensure the recipient'shealth, and provide peace of mind to friends and family.

Of course, there are so many permutations of such monitoring servicesthat listing them all within this disclosure would become burdensome.For example, the recipient's device 114 may be centrally located andinclude a motion sensor or camera. Thus the monitoring is limited to asingle room as opposed to an entire home. Alternatively, rather thansensors embedded within the home, the recipient may be required toprovide “check ins” via their device 114 at periodic times during theday, and an in home visit by a care provider will occur if the recipientmisses the check in.

Another security service may include the care providers having bodycameras that allow the friends and family to see the care being providedas well as see the condition of the recipient and the home.

Moving on, the final aspect of the friends and family support module 220is a billing system 430. The billing system enables the payment for theservices of the providers, as well as value added services and the caremanagement system as a whole. As noted previously, traditional careagencies limit contact between the providers and the friends and familyof the recipient for many reasons, including fear that they will developan arrangement where the provider is directly hired, which couldeliminate the agency's role and lower costs to the customer. The currentsystem does not harbor such concerns as the interface platform enablesvalue independent from the mere identification of the providers.

FIG. 5 is an example block diagram of the care recipient support module230. A service provider profiler 510 provides the recipient an image ofthe provider, and indicates when the provider is going to arrive at therecipient's home. This eliminates surprises and unnecessary angst of therecipient by having someone dropping by unexpectedly.

Likewise, the recipient is asked to rate the provider via a ratingsystem 520. As with provider ratings of the recipient, these ratings maybe maintained in confidence in order to facilitate honest feedback, ormay be provided on a summarized or aggregated basis. The rating systemis utilized to hone provider-recipient matching, as well as providereligibility decisions.

An emergency response module 530 may be made available on somerecipient's devices where they are deemed mentally capable enough forsuch a feature. This enables the recipient to easily call for help inthe care of an emergency by a simple selection of a “panic” style buttonon their device 114. Alternatively, the recipient may be provided awearable interface or device that enables the recipient to rapidlyrequest assistance when in an emergency situation.

Lastly, for some recipients, a messaging system 540 may enablecommunication directly with care providers, family and friends, medicalpersonnel, mental health counselors, spiritual guidance counselors, andthe like. The messaging system may also be employed to present the valueadded services to the recipient once they have been approved by theindividual(s) controlling the system finances.

Moving on, FIG. 6 provides an example block diagram of the logisticsserver 240. The logistics server 240 performs the critical activitiessuch as matching the provider to the recipients, via a service providermatcher 610. This matching process will be described in greater detailbelow, and utilize profile matching and optimizations based uponfeedback to ensure the most successful recipient-provider matches.

A schedule optimizer 620 optimizes the schedules for the providers 102based upon their location, the locations and needs of their recipients,and provider limitations. In concert, the routing optimizer 630 performsthe routing of the provider to each recipient appointment. In somecases, the form of transportation utilized by the provider (car, bike,public transportation, etc.) may be taken into consideration for thisrouting. In yet other embodiments, the routing optimizer 630 can arrangefor shared transport of providers and/or recipients to further increaseefficiencies. For example, many recipients may already depend upon a busservice for the disabled in order to maintain their mobility. If theseride sharing services have dedicated route, providers may be able toleverage these existing infrastructures to get to their appointments.

Now that the systems employed for the management of remote care havebeen described in considerable detail, attention shall be redirectedtoward the processes employed to facilitate the efficiencies in thecare.

II. Methods for Remote Care Management

The following figures and descriptions are but some exemplaryembodiments for the methods of managing remote care. It should berealized that permutations and substitutions of the disclosed methods inorder to improve performance of the care management is considered withinthe scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an example flow diagram for the process of delivering remotecare, shown generally at 700. Initially the service provider ison-boarded (at 710). FIG. 8 provides a more detailed flow diagram forthe sub-process of provider onboarding, in accordance with someembodiment. Here the provider's information is received by the system(at 810). The provider information includes reference information,certifications, a personal profile, identification and previous workhistory. In some cases additional information may be required, such ashealth data, limitations, criminal records, etc.

The provider's qualifications are then compared to the minimumqualifications required for entry into the network (at 820). Thesequalifications may vary considerably based upon service provideravailability, service needs, etc. For example, in some locations theremay be a strong need for light duty providers that assist with feedingand basic grooming. The minimum requirements for such providers may besignificantly lower than for providers in a location where the majorityof the recipients are late stage dementia patients, for example.

A decision is made whether the provider meets these basic requirements(at 830). If not, then the provider is ineligible (at 890) to join thesystem as a provider. However, if the provider meets the basicrequirements, the next stage is to perform a series of background checks(at 840). These background checks evaluate information regarding theprovider's previous professional history, certifications, and thequality of the references provided about the applicant. Additionally, acriminal background check is performed, and in some cases a review ofthe applicant's social media accounts and credit scores may be required.

A provider has the unique privilege and responsibility of working veryclosely within the home of individuals who often are unable to protectthemselves from abuse, theft or fraud. As such, the providers have to bevery carefully screened. Again, if the applicant does not pass thebackground checks (at 850) they are rejected from eligibility (at 890).

However, if the applicant passes all background checks, the next stageis to compare the service provider's profile against preferred profiles(at 860). Since the presently disclosed systems and methods collect arelatively rich data set regarding providers' experience,certifications, professional information, and other backgroundinformation, this data may be leveraged in order to generate profiles ofproviders that are most likely to meet the needs of the recipients.Thus, during the onboarding process for a new provider, the applicant'sdata may be compared against an in-demand provider profile. The degreeof divergence between the applicant's information and the in-demandprofile may be measured and compared against a threshold to determine ifthe applicant is eligible for the platform. The threshold may bedynamic, with a higher threshold to meet when there are plenty ofproviders already on-boarded, and a lower threshold when more providersare needed. In addition to the described vetting of a candidate, aseries of in-person assessments may likewise be used to determineapplicant eligibility.

If the profile of the applicant is too far below the threshold (at 870),the applicant is not admitted to the platform at that time (at 890).However, if the applicant passes each of these inquiries into theirsuitability, they are accepted as a provider (at 880). Acceptanceincludes ensuring they have access to the care management system 108 viaan application running on their device 104. Additional informationregarding their availability, transportation means, etc. may further becollected in order to facilitate the matching of the provider torecipients.

Returning to FIG. 7, after provider on-boarding, the service provider ismatched with a recipient (at 720), which is disclosed in considerabledetail in FIG. 9. The matching step initially sorts providers by thelocation of the recipient (at 910). Immediately providers too far awayfrom the recipient to be feasible may be discarded from a possiblematch.

Next, the providers that are close enough are then sorted by thenecessary qualification for the given recipient (at 920). This sortingis entirely dependent upon the unique needs of the recipient. Forexample, if the recipient requires physical assistance with ambulationthe provider must be able to provide it. Another example is where therecipient only speaks Spanish, and a multilingual provider is needed inorder to effectively deliver care. Alternatively, a recipient mayrequire a provider with specific skills, certification, etc.

The disclosed processes of narrowing a pool of providers by location andthose who meet the special needs of the recipient is similar to what anagency already does. Typically these actions are performed manually,rather than via an automated process as disclosed herein. Where thepresent system excels over traditional approaches, is the suitableproviders are then optimized for the recipients based upon theirrespective profiles (at 930). As already mentioned, a wealth ofinformation is collected for both the recipient and the providers.Moreover, feedback is collected from both the providers and therecipients regarding their satisfaction working together. From this bigdata set, trends in profile compatibilities may be identified, andweights given to these correlations. Thus, when a new provider andrecipient match is being considered, their profiles may be compared inlight of these previously identified trends. Thus a provider may beselected that has the best “fit” to the recipient.

If there is more than one provider that is a suitable “fit” to therecipient, their respective schedules may be analyzed in order to loadbalance the providers (at 940). This ensures equitable distribution ofwork, and helps to avoid burnout. However, as can be appreciated, inalternate embodiments it may be beneficial to fill a provider's schedulecompletely before delegating work to another provider. Thus, based uponprovider preferences, number of providers and market competitiveness anumber of methodologies for workload balancing may be employed.

Alternatively, the system may present a number of suitable providers tothe recipient and/or family, and allow them to select the provider. Itmay be possible that the providers bill as different levels as well, andthese pricing differentials may be taken into consideration whenselecting a provider.

An alternative to the sophisticated matching process disclosed above, isto enable a marketplace approach to provider-recipient matching. In suchalternate embodiments, providers may be notified of a recipient thatrequires care. Details such as general location of care delivery,special needs, schedule of care required, and maybe even profiledetails, may also be made available to the provider. If the provider isinterested, they may then apply to the recipient. The recipient and/orfamily members may then review the profiles of all interested providersin order to select a provider that they are most interested in.

While such a marketplace style matching process may forego profilematching, it allows the providers to also set fees for their servicesmore dynamically. Thus, providers with moreeducation/experience/credentials may be able to leverage their expertisein order to demand higher rates of pay. Indeed, even when the systemmatches providers with recipients independent from the marketplacedisclosed here, various providers may command differing pay rates.

Additionally, hybrid approaches may be employed, where the location andneeds of the recipient are considered, and a profile optimization isperformed in order to render a “suitability index”. This index may asimple scale, from 1-10 for example, which indicates whether the systembelieves the fit is good between the given provider and a recipient.This may be leveraged by providers when they decide whether to pursue agiven position. Likewise, this index could be utilized by the recipientwhen making a selection between the interested providers.

Another hybrid approach is to identify all suitable providers for agiven recipient, and present the opportunity to each provider.Suitability requires that the provider meets all the basic needs of therecipient, and services the geographic location in which the recipientresides. Once the providers are presented the opportunity, a subset willchoose to ‘apply’ in a similar manner as described with the marketplaceapproach. However, rather than enabling the recipient's friends andfamily to ultimately decide which of the interested providers to use, inthis approach, the system optimizes the fit between the recipient andall the interested providers. The best ‘fit’ provider is then awardedthe care of the recipient.

Returning to FIG. 7, after matching the provider to the recipient, theservice is delivered by the provider (at 730), which is described ingreater detail at FIG. 10. Initially, the system optimizes theappointment schedule for the provider (at 1010). This process considerswhether the provider has sufficient bandwidth in order to service eachrecipient. Many recipients may require care once or more times a day.However, some recipient may require fewer visits, and the schedulingprocess ensures that there is no overlap between the various recipientsfor a single provider. The scheduling process also takes into accountthe needs and preferences of the recipients, as well as location ofrecipients.

For example, one recipient may require help getting out of bed, and isscheduled first thing in the morning. The next appointment may bescheduled for a close location in order to minimize commuting burdens(and maximize time spent with recipients). The third appointment may bescheduled with a recipient requiring assistance with feeding, followedby another recipient at a close location for general help grooming. Thenthe provider may have to return to assist with feeding again.

Lastly, the scheduling optimization may learn from provider performance,and adapt as needed. For example, if the provider is routinely latebetween the third and fourth appointment, the scheduler may push backthe fourth appointment in order to give the provider more leeway ingetting to the appointment on time.

The next step is to provide optimal routing for the provider between thevarious appointments (at 1020). As the provider's device 104 includesGPS functionality, and mapping programs are readily available, it is arelatively trivial task to ensure the provider is routed mosteffectively between appointments. However, as previously mentioned, someembodiments of the present system may be further enabled to provideoptimal routing based upon provider transportation preferences, or evenmatch the provider with private shared transport.

The recipient is given information regarding the appointment on theirdevice 114, including information on the provider (at 1030). Aspreviously mentioned, this information may include an image of theprovider, the provider's name, and the time of the appointment. Thisinformation ensures that the recipient is prepared to have theappointment, and reduces stress associated with having someone enteringthe home of the recipient.

Likewise, the provider is given information regarding the recipient (at1040), including care instructions and access to the recipient'sprofile. Additionally, provider notes from previous appointments may bedisplayed to remind the provider of anything important. In someembodiments, it may even be possible for notes of other providers thatare helping to care for the recipient to be displayed.

For example, assume the recipient has dementia and often behaveserratically. This individual may have multiple care providers. In themorning, the recipient refuses to eat, and is generally obstinate. Thefirst care provider may leave a note for the next care providerscautioning them of the mood of the recipient, and indicating thatfeeding should be a priority due to the missed meal. This enables agreater degree of coordinated care than previously possible.

The provider arrives at the location of the recipient (typically therecipient's residence) and delivers the indicated care. The providersends a confirmation to the care management system that the service hasbeen rendered (at 1050). This confirmation is important to ensure therecipient is getting the needed care, for billing purposes, and itenables the friends and family of the recipient to check-in that thecare has been provided.

Lastly, when applicable, value added services may be offered (at 1060).The offering of these value added services is described in more detailat FIG. 11, where the system first receives a request or recommendationfor a value added service (at 1110). This may be prompted by theavailability of a new service (for example an event that is coming totown), a recommendation by the provider (for example, a messageindicating the screen needs repair, or that the recipient could use asocial outing), from the friends/family (for example, to celebrate abirthday a friend requests the recipient be given a special trip out),or even initiated by the recipient herself. In some cases, therecipient's device 104 may have a catalog of available value addedservices that may be browsed by the recipient. When the recipient findssomething they are interested in, they may initiate a request foradditional information (an possibly approval from the financial decisionmaker).

Once the request for a value added service is made, the system may matchthe recipient profile with the available value added services todetermine a best fit (at 1120). For example, with regard to the requestto repair the broken screen, a list of the handymen that have beenvetted may be compared against the recipient's location in order toidentify someone who would be able to promptly repair the screen.Likewise, for a request of a social engagement, the system may reviewupcoming events against the recipient's interests in order to find anevent that they would enjoy, and have the physical ability to attend.

The next step is to offer the value added services to the recipient (at1130) to see if they have interest in the service. If so, the nextrequirement is to ensure that appropriate approvals are secured (at1140). For a mentally competent recipient with control over theirfinances, the recipient may be entirely capable of providing therequired approval. However, in circumstances where finances are beingcontrolled by friends or family, which is often the case when therecipient's mental capacity is diminished, the approval is sought fromthe appropriate individual.

After approval has been secured, the value added service may be provided(at 1150). The intention of these services is to make the process easyfor the recipient. As such, the system may attempt to coordinate a visitfrom the handyman to repair the screen with an already scheduledappointment from the care provider. This enables the provider to bepresent to answer questions, provide access where needed, and alleviateany stress on the recipient. Likewise, the system may be adapted tohandle logistics, such as meals, chaperones, transportation, etc. forany value added events.

Returning to FIG. 7, after all services have been provided by theprovider, feedback is sought (at 740) in order to improve the matchingof providers and recipients, and to identify problems. FIG. 12 providesadditional details regarding this sub-process of feedback collection, inaccordance with some embodiment.

As previously mentioned, one of the unique advantages of the disclosedsystem is the level of transparency afforded providers to the friendsand family of the recipient. To this end, communication is enabledbetween them (at 1210) through the care management system. The providermay send messages with updates to the friends and family. Likewise, insome embodiments, this messaging capability may be bidirectional.

In addition to this messaging, confidential feedback may be collectedfrom the provider and the recipient (at 1220). This feedback may beutilized to refine the services between the provider and recipient, andfurther may be employed to help optimize future matching between otherrecipients and providers. Likewise, the rating of the provider may beemployed, as previously discussed, to identify attributes of providersthat are in high-demand. Note that while the feedback is helpful, it maybe necessary to normalize any feedback provided by a recipient (at 1230)based upon the potential reliability of the rating taking into accountvarious factors, which could include the rater's historical ratings,length of time on the platform, or specific individual attributes.

If the feedback collected indicates that an adjustment is needed in theservice being delivered (at 1240), then proper adjustment may beundertaken. This typically may include altering the care being given, ormay include re-matching a provider to the recipient (at 1250). However,in the case where the feedback indicates that there isn't a need for anadjustment, then care can be continued without any changes (at 1260).

III. Examples

Now that the systems and methods for the management of remote care hasbeen described in considerable detail, attention will be turned tovarious examples of embodiments of the system being employed on one ormore devices. To facilitate this discussion, FIGS. 13-25C are examplescreenshots for the various user interface screens provided to theprovider and recipient, respectively. It should be noted that thesescreenshots are provided by way of example only, and are intended toclarify without unduly limiting the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 13 provides a home screen that may be displayed on a provider'ssmartphone, or other mobile device, shown generally at 1300. Here, thehome screen shows the provider's name and profile image at the heading,and includes a series of navigation menus that may be selected. Inparticular, the provider is given tools, availability, clients, jobs,payments and settings. A number of navigation menus will be explored inmore detail in following screenshot figures.

The settings tool allows the provider to configure their displaysettings, login credentials (password and username), contactinformation, credentials, service area, etc. The availability menuallows the provider to select days and times when they are available totake jobs. This availability information may be employed during thescheduling process performed by the system. The payments menu may allowthe provider to coordinate the payments made for the services that theyprovided.

Moving on to FIG. 14A, the ‘today’ menu screenshot is illustrated forthis example, shown generally at 1400A. Here the various appointmentsare shown to the provider, including the time of the appointment,duration of the appointment, type of appointment, who the appointment iswith, what tasks are to be performed at the appointment, location, andthe ability to clock in at the appointment once they arrive. Incontrast, FIG. 14B shown a screenshot of the same ‘today’ menu exampleonce the provider has clocked-in at the appointment, shown generally at1400B. Now the provider is able to indicate that the appointment hasbeen ‘completed’ once all tasks have been performed.

In some embodiments, the address may be selected by the provider inorder to redirect to the routing system, which as previously discussedoptimizes the provider's routing between appointments. Likewise, in someembodiments, the tasks illustrated may be selected to expand from theshortcut icons illustrated, to a full-blown explanation of the tasks tobe performed, including special instructions.

Additionally, the recipient's name or image may be selected, in someembodiments, in order to pull up the profile, tasks and notes for thegiven recipient. FIG. 15 provides an example screenshot of this menuwhere tasks have been selected for the initial appointment, showngenerally at 1500. The activity is provided, including some detailsregarding the activity. For example, this recipient wants a minimum of30 minutes of walking per appointment, and companionship. Details ofwhat the recipient enjoys, topics of interest, etc. are likewiseprovided. These fields may be modified by the providers for their futurereference, and may even be shared to other providers of a givenrecipient.

Each activity may include a toggle box for tracking the completion ofany given task. Once all tasks have been completed, the provider alsohas the option to clock-out in order to render the appointmentcompleted. Upon appointment completion, the provider may be asked torate the appointment, as shown generally at 1600A in reference to FIG.16A. The rating may be kept confidential from the recipient in order tofacilitate honest feedback. This data, in conjunction with recipientratings of the provider, are utilized to best match the recipient to theproviders, and when necessary, alter the existing services beingrendered to the recipient, as previously discussed. In addition to therating, the provider may be given the opportunity to compose a messagefor the family and friends of the recipient. FIG. 16B illustrates ascreenshot once the provider has input the review and a message for thefamily, shown generally at 1600B. This messaging, along with the abilityto track appointment progression, gives the family significant peace ofmind that is currently lacking among most traditionally providedservices.

FIG. 17 provides an example screenshot of the notes portion of therecipient's file, shown generally at 1700. These notes may be compiledand edited by the provider at any time, and may be used to maintainreminders for the provider. As illustrated herein, the family of thegiver recipient has requested the provider to limit the recipient'spurchases of lottery tickets. Additionally, the provider has included anote about the type of activity the recipient has requested at theappointments. FIG. 18 provides a screenshot of an example where theprovider has selected to draft a new note, shown generally at 1800. Aspreviously mentioned, these notes may be exclusive to the provider, ormay be shared among all care providers who visit the recipient.

FIG. 19 provides an example screenshot of the provider's client menu,shown generally at 1900. From this page, any of the clients/recipientsmay be selected, and their profile and care plan is displayed to theprovider. For example, when the recipient's name or image is selected,the profile page is displayed, as generally shown at 2000 in referenceto FIG. 20. The recipient profile includes their name, image, and alitany of personal information. The profile displayed is provided by wayof example, and any of this information may be included in a recipient'sprofile. However, it should also be understood that a recipient'sprofile in some embodiments may include substantially more or lessinformation, based upon the given needs of the system and providers orthe preferences of the recipient.

In this example profile, the next appointment, address, age, gender,height, weight, preferred salutation, physical limitations, mentallimitations, pets, smell sensitivity, preference to providers wearingshoes inside the home, current or previous profession, greatestaccomplishment, best gift received, favorite holiday, most treasuredmemory, best feature, favorite person, perfect day, and friendship valueare all displayed. In addition, a typical profile may also includeinformation about family, favorite conversational topics, favoritefoods, favorite activities, TV preference, compulsions, etc. which maybe helpful in navigating the interactions between the provider andrecipient.

Moving on, when the care plan menu is selected, a screen is displayedthat illustrates the tasks associated with the recipient, recent notes,and the schedule for appointments, as seen generally at 2100 inreference to FIG. 21. This allows the provider to rapidly find anoverview of the recipient's needs, and scheduled interactions.

FIG. 22 illustrates an example screenshot of the jobs menu that may beselected form the provider's home screen, shown generally at 2200. Aspreviously discussed, providers and recipients may be matched in anumber of ways, depending upon system embodiment. In some cases, thesystem employs matching optimizations in order to pair recipients toproviders; however, in other embodiments, a marketplace style exchangemay be generated which allows providers to directly pursue a givenopportunity. The presently illustrated example screenshot is one suchembodiment of such a marketplace. Here new opportunities may be firstpresented to the provider based upon matching optimizations. In suchembodiments, many providers are selected for the opportunity, and eachis provided the option to pursue or decline the opportunity (as seen inthe first listed job). Details regarding the recipient, time, tasks andlocation are given to the provider in order to ensure their decision iswell informed.

If the provider decides to pursue the opportunity, then the status ischanged from ‘new’ to ‘pending’ while the provider's information isforwarded to the recipient and/or the recipient's friends and family.Once the recipient and/or the recipient's friends and family havecollected the information of several interested providers, they mayselect the providers that they think may be the best match.

From the provider's perspective, if the recipient chooses anotherprovider, the job status will be changed from ‘pending’ to ‘filled’.Alternatively, if they are accepted for the opportunity, the statusupdates to ‘approved’. In this manner, the providers may be efficientlymatched with recipients via a marketplace style exchange. As part of theapplication process, information may also be given to the recipientand/or the recipient's friends and family regarding provider's ratings,fit as determined by the optimization process, payment requirements,etc. Also, as mentioned, the provider's profile is included when theypursue an opportunity.

FIG. 23 illustrates, at 2300, an example screenshot of such a providerprofile. Much like the recipient profile, the provider's name and imageare included, as well as personal information such as birthday, contractinformation, certifications, and personal preferences (hobbies, likesand dislikes). Also included in some profiles are professional history,languages spoken, and other relevant information. Again, this profileinformation may be employed by the matching optimization to ensureappropriate providers are matched with any given recipient.

Moving on to the recipient's side of things, the presently disclosedsystems include a device that is deployed within the recipient's homethat provides information regarding upcoming appointments. Generallythis device is locked in order to provide resilient and limitedfunctionality in order to limit the possibility of user error. This isparticularly important for recipients who are elderly, unfamiliar withtechnology, or mentally handicapped. However, it may also be envisioned,that for recipients who are technologically savvy, the device mayinclude an existing tablet, smartphone or laptop with an applicationrunning on it. Such devices may have enhanced functionality, as hasalready been discussed.

FIG. 24 illustrates an example screenshot of one such embodiment whereinformation regarding an upcoming appointment is displayed to therecipient, shown generally at 2400. Here the current date and time aredisplayed, along with the time of the appointment, and name and image ofthe provider. In this embodiment, the device may also have photographloaded onto it, and may provide the option for the recipient to viewtheir personal photos.

Upon completion of the appointment, as indicated by the providerclocking out of the appointment via their own device, the recipient'sdevice may request feedback regarding the provider, as shown at 2500A ofFIG. 25A. Again, this feedback may be confidential in order to promotehonest answers, and is utilized in the matching optimization and careadjustment processes. FIG. 25B illustrates, at 2500B, once the recipienthas selected a rating for the provider, and FIG. 25C illustrates, at2500 C that the feedback has been successfully submitted.

Lastly, FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate a Computer System 2600, which issuitable for implementing embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 26Ashows one possible physical form of the Computer System 2600. Of course,the Computer System 2600 may have many physical forms ranging from aprinted circuit board, an integrated circuit, and a small handhelddevice up to a huge super computer. Computer system 2600 may include aMonitor 2602, a Display 2604, a Housing 2606, a Disk Drive 2608, aKeyboard 2610, and a Mouse 2612. Disk 2614 is a computer-readable mediumused to transfer data to and from Computer System 2600.

FIG. 26B is an example of a block diagram for Computer System 2600.Attached to System Bus 2620 are a wide variety of subsystems.Processor(s) 2622 (also referred to as central processing units, orCPUs) are coupled to storage devices, including Memory 2624. Memory 2624includes random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). As iswell known in the art, ROM acts to transfer data and instructionsuni-directionally to the CPU and RAM is used typically to transfer dataand instructions in a bi-directional manner. Both of these types ofmemories may include any suitable of the computer-readable mediadescribed below. A Fixed Disk 2626 may also be coupled bi-directionallyto the Processor 2622; it provides additional data storage capacity andmay also include any of the computer-readable media described below.Fixed Disk 2626 may be used to store programs, data, and the like and istypically a secondary storage medium (such as a hard disk) that isslower than primary storage. It will be appreciated that the informationretained within Fixed Disk 2626 may, in appropriate cases, beincorporated in standard fashion as virtual memory in Memory 2624.Removable Disk 2614 may take the form of any of the computer-readablemedia described below.

Processor 2622 is also coupled to a variety of input/output devices,such as Display 2604, Keyboard 2610, Mouse 2612 and Speakers 2630. Ingeneral, an input/output device may be any of: video displays, trackballs, mice, keyboards, microphones, touch-sensitive displays,transducer card readers, magnetic or paper tape readers, tablets,styluses, voice or handwriting recognizers, biometrics readers, motionsensors, brain wave readers, or other computers. Processor 2622optionally may be coupled to another computer or telecommunicationsnetwork using Network Interface 2640. With such a Network Interface2640, it is contemplated that the Processor 2622 might receiveinformation from the network, or might output information to the networkin the course of performing the above-described care management.Furthermore, method embodiments of the present invention may executesolely upon Processor 2622 or may execute over a network such as theInternet in conjunction with a remote CPU that shares a portion of theprocessing.

In sum, the present invention provides systems and methods for themanagement of remote care delivery. The advantages of such a systeminclude the ability to improve the efficiency of care delivery throughbetter routing and scheduling of providers, better matching of providersto recipients, and enhanced transparency that provides family andfriends of the recipient peace of mind.

While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments,there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substituteequivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. Althoughsub-section titles have been provided to aid in the description of theinvention, these titles are merely illustrative and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention.

It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways ofimplementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It istherefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted asincluding all such alterations, modifications, permutations, andsubstitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computerized system for matching a serviceprovider to a recipient, the system comprising: a historic data sourceof historic provider profile information collected from a firstplurality of providers, historic recipient profile information collectedfrom a plurality of recipients, and historical feedback from the firstplurality of providers and the plurality of recipients on the quality ofa delivered service; a match optimizer configured to generate optimalprofile matches by comparing the historic provider profile informationand the historic recipient profile information with the collectedfeedback; an onboarder configured to collect provider profileinformation from a second plurality of providers, and collect recipientprofile information from a recipient; and a matcher configured to matchthe recipient to at least one of the providers in the second pluralityof providers based upon similarity of the provider profile informationand the recipient profile information to the optimal profile matches. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein the service includes at least one offeeding, companionship, grooming, and personal assistance.
 3. The systemof claim 1, wherein the historic provider profile and provider profileincludes at least one of the provider's name, image, gender, birthdate,location, certifications, experience, and personal likes and dislikes.4. The system of claim 1, wherein the historic recipient profile andrecipient profile includes at least one of the recipient's name, image,gender, location, weight, birthdate, care needs, physical limitations,mental limitations, pet status, and at least one of favorite food,favorite holiday, most treasured memory, and favorite person.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a marketplace configured to:display the match to the at least one provider; collect applicationinformation from at least one of the at least one providers; present theat least one of the at least one providers who applied to at least oneof the recipient and family and friends of the recipient; and receiveconfirmation of which provider is selected.
 6. The system of claim 5,wherein the presentation of the at least one of the at least oneproviders who applied includes displaying each provider's profile andcost.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback moduleconfigured to collect feedback on the matched recipient and at least oneof the providers.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the matcher updatesthe match in response to the collected feedback.
 9. The system of claim1, wherein the matcher is further configured to generate a compatibilityscore for the recipient and each provider.
 10. The system of claim 1,further comprising a filter which sorts the second plurality ofproviders by location and credentials prior to the matching.
 11. Acomputerized method of matching a service provider to a recipient, thesystem comprising: collecting historic provider profile information froma first plurality of providers, collecting historic recipient profileinformation from a plurality of recipients; collecting historicalfeedback from the first plurality of providers and the plurality ofrecipients on the quality of a delivered service; generating, by acomputer, optimal profile matches by comparing the historic providerprofile information and the historic recipient profile information withthe collected feedback; collecting provider profile information from asecond plurality of providers; collecting recipient profile informationfrom a recipient; and matching the recipient to at least one of theproviders in the second plurality of providers based upon similarity ofthe provider profile information and the recipient profile informationto the optimal profile matches.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein theservice includes at least one of feeding, companionship, grooming, andpersonal assistance.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the historicprovider profile and provider profile includes at least one of theprovider's name, image, gender, birthdate, location, certifications,experience, and personal likes and dislikes.
 14. The method of claim 11,wherein the historic recipient profile and recipient profile includes atleast one of the recipient's name, image, gender, location, weight,birthdate, care needs, physical limitations, mental limitations, petstatus, and at least one of favorite food, favorite holiday, mosttreasured memory, and favorite person.
 15. The method of claim 11,further comprising: displaying the match to the at least one provider;collecting application information from at least one of the at least oneproviders; presenting the at least one of the at least one providers whoapplied to at least one of the recipient and family and friends of therecipient; and receiving confirmation of which provider is selected. 16.The method of claim 15, wherein the presentation of the at least one ofthe at least one providers who applied includes displaying eachprovider's profile and cost.
 17. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising collecting feedback on the matched recipient and at least oneof the providers.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingupdating the match in response to the collected feedback.
 19. The methodof claim 11, further comprising generating a compatibility score for therecipient and each provider.
 20. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising sorting the second plurality of providers by location andcredentials prior to the matching.